Bay Street East Reconstruction

An Arborist has attended to the site to mark trees for removal based on the latest design and Arborist Report. Trees that need to be removed to allow for the road reconstruction and installation of the forcemain were marked earlier this summer based on the drawings at the time. The latest markings reflect the current design and Arborist Report. 

The Town's contractor plans to complete removals in two phases. The first phase will be completed this fall and will include trees that need to be removed for the road reconstruction and forcemain installation. The second phase will be completed in the spring of 2026 and will include trees that need to be removed for service lateral installations. This will allow the Town, contractor, consultant and property owners to review the service lateral locations to see if any adjustments could be made to preserve additional trees.

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The Town has issued the Construction Notice for the Bay Street East Reconstruction Project. Arnott Construction is expected to mobilize to the site to begin preliminary work this week.

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GeoGuard Innovations has also provided a digital copy of their Pre-Construction Condition Survey notice to supplement the hand-delivered notices. This voluntary service is being offered to properties within the immediate area of the planned construction zone.

View Condition Survey Notice 

Arnott Construction is planning to start preliminary work the week of November 3. This will include excavating some test pits between Mill Street and McAuley Street to measure groundwater levels. Local traffic only will be permitted on Bay Street East between Mill and McAuley while this work is being completed. All other traffic is asked to divert around the area via Cottage Avenue. 

Arnott has also contracted GeoGuard Innovations (GGI) to complete pre-construction condition surveys of properties within the project boundaries. Surveys will be conducted at the request of residents. Notices with booking information are expected to be delivered to properties before the end of this week.

Arnott Construction Ltd. has been awarded the construction contract for the Bay Street East Reconstruction project. Arnott plans to deploy crews to the site and begin work in early November. Utility work is currently underway on Bay Street between Elgin and Grey. Following the relocation of natural gas, Rogers and hydro utilities, Arnott's first tasks will be to install tree protection fencing, along with silt and erosion control measures. Trees slated for removal will be marked again by the Arborist and by EPCOR. Arnott will then remove the required trees within the project limits. It is expected that Arnott will start the underground work at the Mill Street Sewage Pumping Station and work east along Bay Street towards McAuley Street. A detailed Construction Notice with more information on impacts to the residents is being compiled and will be posted on the project web page and mailed to affected residents within the next week.

Over the next several weeks, third-party utilities including Rogers, EPCOR and Enbridge will be completing utility relocation work on Bay Street East between Elgin Street and Grey Street. Enbridge has already mobilized and begun relocation of the natural gas main. The Town is in the final stages of awarding the reconstruction contract. Once the contract has been officially awarded, the contractor will provide the Town with their preliminary schedule for the project and notices will be sent out to residents. 

Please Note: At the request of multiple pre-qualified contractors, the tender deadline has been extended to October 2, 2025.

The construction tender for the Bay Street East Reconstruction project is now open on the Town's Bids and Tenders website. Bids will be accepted until September 11, 2025. Once a contractor has been retained, they will provide a more detailed schedule for the work and the Town will prepare and distribute a construction newsletter.

Contractors will be working on Bay Street East beginning July 30 to install new hydro poles and lines on behalf of EPCOR. Work will be happening in two primary locations: Bay Street East from the dead end at the Beaver River to the Elgin Street North intersection, and at the Bay Street East and Grey Street North intersection. The work is expected to take approximately 4 weeks. Temporary lane restrictions will be in place while work is being completed.

An arborist is scheduled to be onsite at Bay Street East within the next week. They will be gathering information to finalize the Arborist Report for the construction tender, and to mark trees that will need to be removed to allow for the reconstruction of the road and municipal services. Tree removals are not planned until after mid-August, however some trimming and removals will be required sooner to allow for the relocation of hydro infrastructure by EPCOR.

Contractors will be working on Bay Street East beginning May 26 to relocate natural gas lines on behalf of Enbridge. Work will be happening in two primary locations: Bay Street East from Mill Street to McAuley Street, and from 109-134 Bay Street East. The work is expected to take 3-4 weeks. Following completion of work on Bay Street, the contractor will complete an additional relocation on Grey Street South from Highway 26 to the Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant. Temporary lane restrictions will be in place while work is being completed.

Prequalification of contractors for the Bay Street East Reconstruction project closed on Thursday, April 10. The Town will be posting the final construction tender in the coming weeks, and is looking to award and begin construction in July. 

The work will be phased over two years. The reconstruction of Grey Street from Bay Street to the Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant would be completed first in 2025, followed by the reconstruction of Bay Street East from Mill Street to Elgin Street. The underground work on Bay Street East from Elgin Street to Grey Street is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2026. However, tree removals and utility relocations are expected to occur throughout the project area this summer. Once a contractor is retained, they will provide a more detailed schedule and the Town will send out a construction newsletter and ongoing updates will be posted to the project web page as information becomes available.

Staff Report OPS.25.004 is scheduled to be presented to Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. The report provides a summary of the Public Information Centre held on December 17, 2024, and seeks Council direction to proceed to final design, tender and construction based on the previously approved road cross sections. More details are available in the Staff Reports section this page.

View Staff Reports

December 18, 2024 - Public Information Centre #2 Summary

The presentation deck and recording of the Public Information Centre held on December 17, 2024 are now available to view in the Public Meetings & Information Centres section below.

The Public Information Centre provided an opportunity for attendees to review and ask questions about the 60% design. An overview was also provided regarding the next steps in the project. A follow-up Staff Report is expected to be taken to Committee of the Whole and Council in early February of 2025. Comments and questions can be sent at any time to the Town's Project Manager at sricpc@thebluemountains.ca. All comments received prior to Monday, January 13 will be included in an attachment along with the follow-up Staff Report. 

November 26, 2024 - Notice of Public Information Centre #2

The Town has scheduled Public Information Centre (PIC) #2 for the Bay Street East Reconstruction project. The PIC will be held virtually on Tuesday, December 17, 2024 beginning at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will include a public comment and question period. All those interested in the project are invited to attend. Pre-registration is required.

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November 12, 2024 - Upcoming infrastructure locate work

The Town would like to advise that a contractor is scheduled to complete locates of existing Town infrastructure on Grey Street and Bay Street East utilizing a hydrovac truck on Wednesday, November 13. This work will take place mostly in the boulevard, but may involve some temporary lane restrictions. Access will be maintained at all times for emergency vehicles.

October 23, 2024 - Staff Report for approval of HEWSF grant

Staff Report CSOPS.24.078 is scheduled to be presented to Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. The report is seeking Council authorization for the Mayor and Clerk to execute the necessary agreements regarding the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Funding grant for the Craigleith Main Sewage Lift Station, Mill Street Pumping Station and Bay Street Reconstruction. More details are available in the Staff Reports section this page.

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September 23, 2024 - The Blue Mountains receives $25.3M in Infrastructure Funding from the Ontario Government

Brian Saunderson, MPP for Simcoe-Grey announced today that the Ontario government is investing $25,397,523.99 to enable the construction of new homes in the Town of the Blue Mountains. The funding is being delivered through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, which helps municipalities develop, repair, rehabilitate and expand drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. 

This funding has been awarded for upgrades to the Craigleith Sewage Lift Station and Mill Street Sewage Pump Station, including the installation of a new sanitary forcemain between the Mill Street Sewage Pump Station and the Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant. This project will significantly increase the Town's wastewater storage and pumping capacity, supporting more than 2,000 new housing units. More details can be found in the MPP's Media Release. 

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July 19, 2024 - Council decision on design direction

Council pulled Staff Report CSOPS.24.031 for further discussion at their meeting on Monday, July 15. Following discussions with staff, Council provided direction to proceed with the preliminary design of a one-way street cross section for Bay Street East and with a Town standard local urban cross section for Grey Street. More details can be found in the Staff Reports section on this page.

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July 3, 2024 - Presentation of Public Information Centre #1 Follow-up Staff Report

Staff Report CSOPS.24.031 was presented to Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The report presented a summary of the public feedback that was heard through the first Public Information Centre, and requested Council direction to select a cross-section to allow the project team to continue with the design. More details and updates on this report can be found in the Staff Reports section on this page.

View Staff Reports

April 19, 2024 - Public Information Centre #1 Summary

The presentation deck and recording of the Public Information Centre held on April 18, 2024 are now available to view in the Public Meetings & Information Centres section below.

The Public Information Centre provided an opportunity for attendees to review the project background including the alternative alignments that were evaluated for the forcemain, along with the preliminary design options for Bay Street East. Members of the public are encouraged to share their preferences and feedback regarding the design with the Town's Project Manager by May 3, 2024. These comments will be included in the follow-up Staff Report seeking direction from Town Council. Comments can be sent to sricpc@thebluemountains.ca.

Further updates will be expected when the project team is scheduled to present the follow-up Staff Report regarding the meeting to Committee of the Whole.

March 27, 2024 - Notice of Public Information Centre #1

The Town has finalized the date for the first Public Information Centre (PIC) regarding the Bay Street East Reconstruction project. This PIC will be held virtually on Thursday, April 18, 2024 beginning at 5:00 p.m. to gather input from stakeholders and residents. The meeting will include a public comment and question period. All those interested in the project are invited to attend. Pre-registration is required.

View Notice

February 2, 2024 - Design work advancing

The design for the Bay Street East Reconstruction project is advancing well. The Town's consultant is currently working with a third party to provide renderings to better illustrate the various design options that will be presented for public feedback at the first Public Information Centre. This Public Information Centre is now anticipated to be scheduled for March. The Town will send out notices via mail and email once the date has been finalized.

December 6, 2023 - Neighbourhood Meeting follow-up

Town staff and the Town's engineering consultant, WT Infrastructure, met with local residents on Saturday, December 2 at Bayview Park. The Town's project team was able to illustrate some of the challenges they face based on existing conditions, and residents were able to share their concerns and thoughts on different elements of the project including active transportation options, impacts to trees, traffic calming measures, road alignments and drainage and stormwater management.

The project team will consider all feedback as the preliminary design evolves, along with regulatory requirements, the Town's Official Plan, Transportation Master Plan and Engineering Standards. The first of two planned Public Information Centres is expected to be held in early 2024.

November 10, 2023 - Notice of Neighbourhood Meeting

The Town has chosen a date for a Neighbourhood Meeting regarding the Bay Street East Reconstruction project. This event will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Bayview Park Pavilion to gather input from stakeholders and residents. All those interested in the project are invited to attend. 

View Notice of Meeting

August 15, 2023 - Addition of engineering for Bay Street Reconstruction

Staff Report CSOPS.23.044 was presented to Committee of the Whole seeking approval to add the engineering for the full reconstruction of Bay Street East from Mill Street to Grey Street to the project budget, along with a number of other recommendations. Committee of the Whole voted in favour of the proposal. The decision will be confirmed at the next Town Council meeting on August 28.

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April 14, 2023 - Request for engineering budget increase

Staff Report CSOPS.23.019 was presented to Committee of the Whole seeking Council approval to increase the engineering budget from $2,000,000 to $2,200,000. The bids received for engineering services exceeded the previously approved budget amount, which has prompted the request.

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May 3, 2022 - Cancellation of initial project and creation of new project

Staff Report CSOPS.22.041 was presented to Committee of the Whole. The report asked that Town Council approve the cancellation of the "Craigleith Main Sewage Lift Station Upgrades" project that was included in the 2021 Town Budget, and approve the creation of a new project titled "Mill Street Sewage Lift Station and Craigleith Main Sewage Lift Station Upgrades" along with an associated budget.

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Staff Report OPS.25.004 was presented to Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. The report provided a summary of the Public Information Centre held on December 17, 2024, including responses and additional background on the questions asked during the Public Information Centre. The report sought Council direction to proceed to final design, tender and construction based on the previously approved road cross sections which are:

• Bay Street East to include sanitary forcemain, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and watermain by undertaking a preliminary design of a one-way street cross section with an alignment which minimizes the impact to the existing streetscape while not compromising safety or the needed infrastructure. The design is to include:
  • Stormwater bike safe grates/basins within the asphalt and/or semi-mountable curb
  • No sidewalks, multi-use trail, or drainage ditches 
• Grey Street beginning south from Bay Street East to Highway 26 in a complimentary manner to Bay Street East cross-section from Highway 26 to the Wastewater Treatment Plant with restoration to the Town standard local urban 20m ROW with no parking cross-section with 7.5 metre asphalt width and 2.7 metre multi-use trail including the installation of the outfall sanitary forcemain, storm sewer and watermain

Staff also requested a $150,000 increase to the engineering contingency budget to allow for additional communications requested by residents related to tree removal and replanting of trees adjacent parklands and on private property. This includes services of an arborist, landscape architect and designer.

These recommendations were approved by Committee of the Whole, and the direction was adopted by Council at their meeting on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Presentation of the report to Committee of the Whole begins at the 54:40 mark of the meeting recording.

View Meeting Recording

Staff Report CSOPS.24.078 was presented to Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. The report requested Council authorization for the Mayor and Clerk to execute the necessary agreements regarding the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Funding grant for the Craigleith Main Sewage Lift Station, Mill Street Pumping Station and Forcemain. The Town of The Blue Mountains has been successful in receiving $25,397,523.99 from the Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure for this project. Committee voted in favour of the recommendation. In a subsequent motion, Committee requested that the Town Clerk review the release of the Town's application for the HEWSF grant to Council members prior to their meeting on November 12.

Presentation of the report begins at the 1:37:20 mark of the meeting recording.

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The report was pulled for further discussion at the Special Meeting of Council on November 25, 2024. Upon review and following discussion with staff, Council voted to confirm the Committee motion. 

Review of the Committee motion begins at the 40:35 mark of the Council meeting recording.

View Council Meeting Recording

Staff Report CSOPS.24.031 was presented to the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The report provided a summary of the feedback received through the first Public Information Centre, and requested direction to proceed with the design of Bay Street and Grey Street including sanitary forcemain, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and watermain with restoration to the Town Standard Local Urban 20m Right of Way with No Parking cross-section with 7.5m asphalt width, and 2.7m multiuse trail. Following a thorough discussion, Committee voted 6-0 in favour of a motion that directed staff to provide another Staff Report with the following information:

1. A complete review of the four options offered for the forcemain alignment presented in the Public Information Centre and the options proposed by the members of the community at the July 2, 2024 Committee of the Whole meeting in response to CSOPS.24.031, including costs for each of these options.
2. Further information on the costs, savings, and cross-section of the one-way street, two-way street and centering options, plus consideration of an additional option of status quo amenities (no sidewalks, no multi-use trail and no curb).
3. Cross-section drawing of pipe placement with corresponding measurements (horizontal and vertical).

 Presentation of the report to Committee of the Whole begins at the 2:10:30 mark of the meeting recording.

View Committee Meeting Recording

Council pulled the report and Committee motion for further discussion at their meeting on Monday, July 15. Following a thorough discussion, Council voted against the motion directing staff to provide an additional staff report with a complete review, including costs, of the forcemain alignment options. In a separate decision, Council voted to direct staff to proceed with:

• The design of Bay Street East including sanitary forcemain, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and watermain by undertaking a preliminary design of a one-way street cross section with an alignment which minimizes the impact to the existing streetscape while not compromising safety or the needed infrastructure. The preliminary design is to include:
  • Stormwater bike safe grates/basins within the asphalt and/or semi-mountable curb
  • No sidewalks, multi-use trail, or drainage ditches 
• The design of Grey Street beginning south from Bay Street East to Highway 26 in a complimentary manner to Bay Street East cross-section from Highway 26 to the Wastewater Treatment Plant with restoration to the Town standard local urban 20m ROW with no parking cross-section with 7.5 metre asphalt width and 2.7 metre multi-use trail including the installation of the outfall sanitary forcemain, storm sewer and watermain

Review of the report by Council begins at the 4:27:40 mark of the meeting recording.

View Council Meeting Recording

Staff Report CSOPS.23.044 was presented to Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, August 15. The report requested Council approval for the following items:

• Addition of engineering for the full reconstruction of Bay Street from Mill Street to Grey Street to a full urban cross section.
• Increase the engineering services budgets for the Craigleith Sewage Lift Station, Mill Street Sewage Pumping Station, Mill Street Forcemain and Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant (TWWTP) Outfall.
• Initiate negotiations with WT Infrastructure to complete the engineering for the full reconstruction of Bay Street from Mill Street to Grey Street, and with IBI Arcadis to complete the engineering for the TWWTP Outfall.

Committee of the Whole voted 6-0 in favour of the recommendations. This was adopted by Council at their meeting on August 28.

Committee discussion of the report begins at the 1:11:00 mark of the meeting recording.

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Staff Report CSOPS.23.019 was presented at a Special Meeting of Council on April 14. The report requested Council approval to increase the engineering services budget for the Craigleith Sewage Lift Station, Mill Street Sewage Pumping Station and Mill Street Forcemain projects. Council voted 6-0 in favour of the recommendations.

Council discussion of the report begins at the 51:20 mark of the meeting recording.

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Staff Report CSOPS.22.041 was presented at a Special Committee of the Whole meeting on May 3. The report asked that Town Council approve the cancellation of the "Craigleith Main Sewage Lift Station Upgrades" project that was included in the 2021 Town Budget, and approve the creation of a new project titled "Mill Street Sewage Lift Station and Craigleith Main Sewage Lift Station Upgrades." The purpose of combining these projects was to streamline the engineering process. The report also asked Council to approved a budget of $2,000,000 for engineering and contingency, with $1,000,000 coming from the Wastewater Asset Replacement Reserve Fund and $1,000,000 coming from Wastewater Development Charges. Committee voted 3-3 regarding the recommendations. The report was pulled for further discussion at the May 24 Council meeting where staff provided further background information about the projects. Council voted 5-1 in favour of the recommendations. 

Discussion of the report at the Committee meeting begins at the 4:59:30 mark of the recording.

View May 3 Committee Meeting Recording

Discussion of the report at the Council meeting begins at the 3:24:00 mark of the recording.

View May 24 Council Meeting Recording

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The Town has been awarded $25.3 million in funding through the HEWSF for the “Craigleith Sewage Lift Station, Mill Street Sewage Pumping Station and Bay Street Forcemain” project. Staff began preparing the grant application in February of 2024 to meet the submission deadline of April 19, 2024. At that time, this project had been approved by Council in August 2023 through Staff Report CSOPS.23.044 and included: 

• Upgrades to increase capacity at the Mill Street Sewage Pumping Station 
• Upgrades to increase capacity at the Craigleith Sewage Lift Station 
• Installation of the sanitary forcemain along Bay Street and Grey Street 
• Replacement of watermain and sanitary sewers on Bay Street 
• Addition of stormwater sewers on Bay Street 
• Elimination of the Elgin Street Sewage Pumping Station 
• Reconstruction of Bay Street and Grey Street 

This funding offers a vital opportunity to modernize the underground infrastructure on Bay Street and Grey Street, rebuild the roads for the next century and ensure the ongoing safety and functionality of the Town’s wastewater and drinking water systems.

The Town has been informed that if there are any changes to the scope of the project outlined in the Town’s application – including the relocation of the forcemain from the alignment identified in the grant application – the province would be required to review and reassess whether eligibility for the funding would be maintained. Additionally, the HEWSF states that all projects must be completed by March 31, 2027 to remain eligible to receive the full funding. Failure to meet the requirements of the HEWSF will result in the project funding falling back to Reserve Funds and Development Charges.

At the Special Meeting of Council on November 25, 2024, Council confirmed authorization for the Mayor and Clerk to sign the funding agreement with the province. The next steps in the HEWSF grant process are related to project completion milestones.

The latest direction from Council came on February 18, 2025 in response to Staff Report OPS.25.004. At this time, Council voted directing staff to proceed to final design, tender and construction with: 

The design of Bay Street East including sanitary forcemain, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and watermain by undertaking a preliminary design of a one-way street cross section with an alignment which minimizes the impact to the existing streetscape while not compromising safety or the needed infrastructure. The preliminary design is to include: 

• Bike-safe stormwater grates/basins within the asphalt and/or semi-mountable curb 
• No sidewalks, no multi-use trail, or drainage ditches 

The design of Grey Street beginning south from Bay Street East to Highway 26 in a complimentary manner to Bay Street East cross-section from Highway 26 to the Wastewater Treatment Plant with restoration to the Town standard local urban 20m right-of-way with no parking permitted, and a road cross-section with 7.5 metre asphalt width and 2.7 metre multi-use trail including the installation of the outfall, sanitary forcemain, storm sewer and watermain

No, at their meeting on February 18, 2025, Council provided staff with direction to finalize the design and proceed with tendering for construction. More details are available in the Staff Reports section this page.

View Staff Reports

Staff have been given clear direction from Council to proceed with a design that will minimize impact on the existing streetscape. In particular, the tennis courts and pavilion at Bayview Park will not be impacted during the construction or as a result of construction. 

Staff are committed to ensuring the preservation of Bayview Park as much as possible while accommodating the necessary infrastructure upgrades. 

Images provided in Public Information Centre #1 included an illustration of the route which showed the forcemain passing under the tennis courts and the pavilion. This was presented as a high-level schematic for illustration purposes, and should not be considered as detailed design. All infrastructure – including the forcemain – can be installed within the Town-owned 20 metre right-of-way and will not impact the tennis courts or the pavilion. Some tree removals will be required along Bayview Park within the Town’s right-of-way, however these are expected to be offset through replanting at the end of the project.

Due to the underground infrastructure required, including the service laterals to each property line, most of the 20 metre right-of-way will be required for construction. As with any capital project, staff will look for opportunities to minimize construction impacts.

Town staff initially evaluated several alternative routes for the forcemain. Bay Street East and Grey Street was chosen as the preferred route, and was approved by Council through Staff Report CSOPS.23.044 on August 15, 2023. An overview of the routes considered was provided for information purposes at Public Information Centre #1 (beginning at the 15:00 mark of the meeting recording) on April 18, 2024. The route along Bay Street East and Grey Street was chosen for the following reasons:

• Redundancy: The majority of the alignment provides a separate route from the existing forcemain, which is a key design requirement for redundancy.
• Access: Installation within the Town’s right-of-way ensures long-term access for maintenance, repairs, and eventual replacement. 
• Opportunities for Project Efficiency: The existing watermain and sanitary sewer on Bay Street East are at the end of their useful lives and need replacement. Grey Street also needs to be reconstructed for the installation of the new outfall from the Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant. Completing this work at the same time as the forcemain installation is expected to result in significant cost savings to the Town and taxpayers. 
• Future Upgrades: The alignment is expected to allow for the elimination of the undersized Elgin Street Pumping Station. If this facility is not eliminated through the forcemain installation, it will require costly upgrades or replacement in the near future. 
• Drainage and Road Upgrades: The project will provide road and drainage upgrades to extend the lifespan of the roadway.

Bay Street East was identified through the Town’s recently completed Transportation Master Plan as an area with an opportunity for active transportation infrastructure to be added. Therefore, preliminary recommendations called for a full urban cross section in this area to align with the Town’s updated Engineering Standards. This would have seen the addition of sidewalks and streetlights to enhance pedestrian safety, along with improved stormwater management facilities to protect Georgian Bay. 

At their meeting on July 15, 2024, Council voted to eliminate the dedicated pedestrian facilities from the design scope, and directed staff to proceed with a one-way design for the street.

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